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March 31, 1964 'r. RIBAUDO IRONING BOARD CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 3, 1960 mun/Toe Ton/Y RIB/1000,

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March 31, 1964 T. RIBAUDO IRONING BOARD CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 5. 1960 IN VEA/TOE: To NY R/BA uoo,

United States Patent 3,126,845 IRONING BOARD CONSTRUCTION Tony Rihaudo, 5727 W. Park Ave, St. Louis 10, Mo. Filed Nov. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 67,051 1 Claim. (Cl. 108-117) The present invention relates generally to ironing boards, and more particularly to an improved and novel mechanism for releasably locking the ironing board in selected positions of operation.

Dozens of ironing board constructions have been developed heretofore, which incorporate releasable locking mechanisms. However, there has long been the need for an ironing board which can be, in effect, automatically placed in desired operating position, and which can be easily returned to storage position. Complicated releasable locking structures have long been the bane of the housewifes existence, yet, in the wide experience of the applicant, no one has provided an ironing board which can be literally lifted from a horizontal position into the desired plane of operation without manipulation of a latching mechanism, and which can be returned to storage relationship by the pressing of a single hand lever.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel releasable latching construction for ironing boards and an ironing board incorporating such structure which overcomes the long existing problems above mentioned.

In brief, the present novel ironing board construction includes an ironing platform, collapsible supporting legs, and a releasable locking mechanism. The locking mechanism includes a pin reciprocably mounted in a track, the pin pivotally supporting a spring biased lever. The lever includes a free end portion which is disposed in respect to the track to slide thereover upon movement of the pin in one direction, but to engage provided stop means to prevent movement of the pin in the opposite direction.

Hence, another object of the present invention is to provide a latching mechanism which permits raising of the platform of an ironing boa-rd to a higher position without manipulation of the position latching mechanism.

Another object is to provide a novel releasable latching mechanism for ironing boards which permits collapsing of the legs into positions substantially against the lower edge of the flmge of the platform.

Another object is to provide a novel releasable mechanism for ironing boards which can be readily and easily operated by anyone physically able to lift the ironing board of which it is a part.

Another object is to provide a novel releasable latching mechanism for ironing boards which requires very little maintenance and which is adapted to function indefinitely without repair.

Another object is to provide a novel releasable latching mechanism for ironing boards which is constructed to reduce to a minimum accidental release of a latch, yet can be readily manually released as desired.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an ironing board incorporating the present novel releasable latching mechanism, the ironing platform being shown at full height;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to- FIGU'RE 1 illustrating the ironing platform at an intermediate level;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged bottom plan View of the ironing board of FIGURE 1 folded or collapsed into storage, or non-operative, position;

FIGURE 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the ironing board as shown in FIGURE 3 illustrating the present novel releasable latch- 3,126,845 Patented Mar. 31, 1964 "ice ing mechanism, a portion of one of the legs being broken away for better illustration thereof;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal, vertical cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectional view similar to FIGURE 5, but with the ironing platform at an operative ironing level;

FIGURE 9 is a transverse, vertical cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 9-9 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 10 is an end view of the latching lever;

FIGURE 11 is a view thereof at ninety degrees to FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a view illustrating attachment of the upper end of the bodily movable leg to the movable pin.

Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numerals, 20 indicates generally an ironing board incorporating a releasable latching mechanism 22 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The ironing board 10 also includes an ironing platform 24 and two pivotally mounted collapsible legs 26 and 28, each of which includes a transverse foot 30.

The ironing platform 24 may be of steel, aluminum, or other material, and includes a continuous downwardly turned flange 32. Transverse reinforcing struts 34 are provided. A channel member 36 extends longitudinally of the ironing platform 24 and is welded or otherwise secured to the struts 34 centrally thereof, as is clear from the drawings. The member 36 includes opposed inwardly directed flange portions 38.

The leg 26 is secured as by welding at the end remote from the foot 30 to a pin 40, the ends of which are disposed between the flanges 38 and the base of the member 36 as a track for reciprocative movement along the member 36. The upper end of the leg 28 is similarly secured to a pin 4-2, the ends of which are pivotally mounted in the vertical flanges of the channel member 36 as is clear from FIGURE 3. A bolt or headed pin 44 pivotally connects the legs 26 and 28 intermediate the ends thereof.

The releasable latching mechanism 22 includes a lever 45 comprising a hand portion 48 and a latching portion so at right angles thereto which is pivotally mounted on the pin 40 to one side of the leg 26, as is clear from the drawings. The pivot portion 5i) is formed with a struckup semicircular portion 52 and downwardly formed spaced semicircular portions 54 (FIG. 9) through which the pin 40 extends. 'Ihe latching portion 50 also includes at its free end a latching tip 56 which curves upwardly from the plane of the latching portion 50. A coil spring 58, having one free end engaging the latching portion 50 and the other free end a flange 38, biases the latching portions Si} in a direction to engage the latching tip 56 with the channel member as. The channel member 36 has a plurality of apertures 6%) longitudinally thereof towards one end in line with the latch tip 56.

A transverse channel 62 is formed near the end of the channel member 36 beyond the apertures as which receives the pin 4th when the ironing board 29 is folded into the storage position of FIGURE 3. This permits the leg 28 to pivot into a position so that it is substantially in engagement with the lower edge of the flange 32 of the ironing platform 24.

position or level Without touching the latching mechanism. It is manifest that the latch tip 56 will slide across the apertures 60 as the latching mechanism 22 and the upper end of the leg 26 and pin 40 move to the right, viewing FIGURES 3 and 4. However, as the selected level for ironing is reached and the ironing platform 24 is released, the latch tip 56 engages the aperture directly .thereabove or immediately to the left to retain the ironing board 20 in its selected adjusted position. When it is desired to lower the board 20 to another ironing level, or to store it, it is but necessary to move the hand portion 48 upwardly against the bottom of the ironing platform 24 which pivots the pivot portion 50 to move the latch tip 56 downwardly and out of engagement with the aperture 60 in which it is disposed. As the hand portion 48 is pivoted, the ironing platform 24 is lifted slightly and is then lowered to the desired position, meanwhile maintaining the lever portion 48 in its pivoted position. The lever portion 48 is then released to permit the latch tip 56 to engage another aperture 60, or to slide to storage position.

It is manifest that the several features of the instant .invention fulfill the objects and advantages desired there- ,for.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the arts, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claim which follow.

What is claimed is:

An ironing board comprising, in combination, an iron ing platform, a channel member secured to the bottom of said platform having opposed inwardly directed flanges, a pair of pivotally connected collapsible legs mounted in said channel member, one leg being pivotally connected at one end to said channel member, the other leg being pivotally and reciprocably connected at one end to said channel member, said pivotal and reciprocal connection including a pin transversely disposed in said channel member for sliding and rotative movement, the upper end of said other leg being secured thereto, and latching mechanism for maintaining said legs in selected operative position including a lever pivotally mounted on said pin having a latch tip, aligned apertures in said channel member, said latch tip being adapted to freely slide over said apertures as the platform is raised vertically while held in horizontal position and to engage a selected hole when said platform is lowered after vertical movement, and means for releasing the latch tip to lower the platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 804,244 Messer Nov. 14, 1905 1,742,431 Williams Jan. 7, 1930 2,016,195 Gregory Oct. 1, 1935 2,662,319 Hortman Dec. 15, 1953 2,760,286 Voigt et al Aug. 28, 1956 2,912,775 Gettelman Nov. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,128,021 France Aug. 20, 1956 1,143,957 France Apr. 15, 1957 

